Immunet 2.0.14 Released

[sujay]

2.0.14 has been released. It improves performance over 2.0.11, fixes bugs, and gets us ready for localizing into multiple languages. Language builds will be coming over the next couple weeks.

Some of the bug fixes include:
* Date format for Last Scanned date
* Improving the upgrade from Free to Plus to hide the banner and kick off definition updates
* Improved performance in Plus
* Bugs related to restore/delete from quarantine
* Correcting Avira exclusion path
* Spelling & Grammar mistakes
* Decreasing the number of balloon pop-up messages

New users will get this when they download, however we will not be forcing updates to everyone. You can manually upgrade by simply going to http://www.immunet.com/free/index.html and downloading the Free product. It will upgrade your existing installation and ask you to reboot.

Through wilderssecurity

Ask toolbar came again.. But unchecked this time...

[leofelix]

Thank you sujay

* Correcting Avira exclusion path

Glad they noticed it
It was present in IMMUNET v 1 too

too bad they added ask toolbar again even if not prechecked

[safeguy]

I was right not to give Immunet another try....they've got to understand that a security software would be best to stay away from having any relations with Ask toolbar.. be it the option is checked/pre-checked. The only exception being they are fine with tarnishing a portion of their reputation for the sake of money-making...

Go here and read the privacy issues and vulnerabilities concerning Ask Toolbar : Products with Ask Toolbar

I'll quote a few here:

If the above security software vendors are thinking that Ask.com Search Assistant and/or Ask.com Toolbar is Harmless... think again by reading below. How in the world a security software vendor decided to associate or partner their name to company with below practices?

Privacy Issue
Ask.com Search Assistant or Ask.com Toolbar if in use by people will send/receive data from the following third party domains:
othersonline.com
ad.doubleclick.net
media.adrevolver.com
everesttech.net
All these is not in the EULA of Ask.com Search or Toolbar
Note: Search/Toolbar of Google, Yahoo and Windows Live do not have to do what Ask.com is doing when using their search engine.

Here are the role models that other security software vendors should follow:

Here's take a look at what Mike Nash said on his blog:
Ask Toolbar in Online Armor Free? Nearly...

A rock and a hard place

On one hand, we have a way to boost our business by the tunes of tens of thousands of dollars per month. In this economy, that sort of money is not to be sneezed at - hell, in any economy the chance to quickly add a quarter-million USD per year to the bottom line with minimal effort is not to be sneezed at.

Unfortunately, adding that bar would mean that our users would hate us. Vocally. Is it rational hatred? Who cares. Hate is hate, and Vocal is Vocal. We'd already noted one of the smaller players get slammed for their search bar antics.

In all of our discussions and observations, some key points kept getting repeated:

• Users do not expect a security tool to install unneeded items, even if that security tool is free.
• Default opt-in is the only way people will install due to inattention, accident or trickery of wording.
• Default opt-in is wrong.
• Users place a lot of trust in security vendors. They are trusted to do the right thing. Do not abuse that trust.
• Is it ethical to ask your users to install a product you would not install and use yourself?

Out of all of them, the last one got to me the most. I installed the bar and had a look. If this was on my computer, I would remove it.

In fact - the ICQ bar is even worse - the uninstaller didnt work correctly and now I find myself trying to do a google search and sometimes getting ICQ. It's really, really annoying. Do I want to really, really annoy our users?


The upshot.

When we started our Online Armor project, we somehow stumbled onto a simple formula. Listen to our users, and give them what they want. Provided they don't want free ponies and chocolate, it's a model that works rather well. Everyone wins.

Our users - the ones privvy to the pre-launch information told us pretty clearly "We don't want this, and we don't think it's right". When your friends are telling you it's not a good idea - imagine what people who don't have that relationship will say or do.

So - we've decided not to proceed with Ask, though they'd probably pay us nearly enough to buy a nice car.

When the numbers look good from a financial perspective, and "everyone else is doing it" - it's easy to fall into complacently thinking that all will be fine. It's not fine for security companies to bundle someone elses toolbar. We lost sight of that for a moment and nearly did everyone a disservice.

Why did we decide not to proceed? Well, the money sure would be nice but at what cost? Bundling this bar would lead to a loss of trust... and that's something you generally only get to lose once.

I'll get the car another day.

I think the message sent is as clear as crystal. Till the Immunet team realizes that, I'll have to say "bye bye" to their developing and potentially good product.

[leofelix]

bumping this thread
People should read what safeguy posted.

Thank you

[sujay]

Yes leo... I wasn't aware of Mike Nash's comment... hmm.....